Terminology


 * Rākasu -  are celestial demons that continuously threaten to destroy the world. They are represented by the stars, battling the sun (Māsuku) each dusk and dawn.
 * Kariuk - is a magical or cursed human being — usually a shaman who takes part in a heretical ceremony designed to summon evil forces, so that he may take on the characteristics of an animal. That animal can take many forms, including wolves, bears and birds. If the shaman stays too long in animal form, he can lose his humanity completely — which makes him even more dangerous.
 * Kariuk gain power by killing a close relative, sometimes even a sibling.